2021 December 15

Daily news wrap-up

News - Dec/15/2021: Anti-corruption; FBI to train agents; Officials investigated; Cop busted; Checks & balances __ Refugee & migrant worker laws __ Legal reforms as part of AM-EU agreement __ Private data protection __ Brussels meeting __ Replacing Yerevan mayor __ Survey: who is Armenia's ally?
by ar_david_hh

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This is your 10-minute Wednesday report in 2393 words.

Armenia, EU, and Azerbaijan meet in Brussels

Context in Tuesday post. The topics were similar to what was discussed during Sochi meetings on November 26.

Pashinyan: Armenia and Azerbaijan reaffirmed the need to reopen the railways. They will operate in accordance with internationally accepted border and customs rules, on a reciprocal basis, under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries. Armenia will gain connection to Iran and Russia. //

EU's Charles Michel: It was agreed to proceed with the restoration of railway lines, with appropriate arrangements for border and customs controls, based on the principle of reciprocity. The restoration of the infrastructure must be with respect for the sovereignty of Both Sides™.

We will form an expert group to support the border delimitation process.

We want to help establish trust between AM-AZ to have sustainable peace in the region. We welcome the release of POWs on December 4 and the transfer of all remaining landmine maps to Azerbaijan as part of the humanitarian efforts. The rest of the detainees should be released. Humanitarian gestures by both sides promote confidence and reconciliation.

Last but not least, we will give you lots of cash if you can just go away and never show your faces again. //

Pashinyan and Aliyev had a brief face-to-face meeting without mediators.

Russian MFA: we hope Brussels discussions will contribute to the implementation of AM-RU-AZ agreements

Zakharova: we are still analyzing the Brussels results. We hope the results will contribute to the further implementation of the trilateral agreements reached by Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia during the previous three meetings. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070781.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070787.html https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1070790.html https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1070791.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070868.html

Russian MFA: we welcome the process aimed at normalization of Armenia-Turkish relations

Armenia and Turkey recently announced plans to appoint representatives to build relations. Turkey will launch charter flights to Yerevan.

MFA spokeswoman: We are ready to support that process by all means. It will contribute to the improvement of the general situation in the region, and to the formation of an atmosphere of neighborliness, trust, and confidence in the region. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070867.html

Security Council chief Armen Grigoryan met Joe Biden's security adviser Jake Sullivan during U.S. trip

https://factor.am/454323.html

Justice Minister discussed POW issue with the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe

Minister Andreasyan is in Italy where he met Marija Burić. They discussed the AM-AZ conflict, the mistreatment of POWs, and the need to release them. He also met several European colleagues to discuss institutional reforms in Armenia.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070796.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070874.html

leaders of Armenia and Moldova want to launch a joint business forum

Pashinyan and Sandu held a "productive meeting" during the EU Eastern Partnership summit. The business forum will try to promote mutual investments and boost trade.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070818.html

Anti-Corruption Committee chief met U.S. FBI representatives

ACC was created recently. FBI congratulated Sasun Khachatryan with his appointment as president. They discussed the purchase/donation of modern investigative equipment for the new agency.

The FBI could soon help retrain Armenian agents.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070813.html

anti-corruption: checks and balances in the police department after a policeman is sentenced to 5 years for stealing money collected from fines

Prosecutor's office: a traffic policeman with a decade of experience did not deposit ֏7.1M collected from drivers in 2019-2020. Last week the court sentenced him to 5 years in prison but it was downgraded to 3-year probation.

To find out why this was possible, we examined the process and found shortcomings in the documentation process. There was not enough oversight over the process. We informed the police administration and they took measures. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070869.html

update: authorities invited Seyran Ohanyan and Arthur Vanetsyan for Q&A

Former NSS chief PU Arthur Vanetsyan was invited to NSS as a witness in an investigation unrelated to him.

Former Defense Minister HD Seyran Ohanyan, his wife, and several associates have been at the center of an asset forfeiture investigation. He was invited to present his side of the story and "show receipts".

Under the new law, if there is evidence of wrongdoing, the court can seize assets. Several public figures are under investigation, including Serj's brother Levon (North-South case), Levon's children, Serj's chief bodyguard Vachagan Ghazaryan, former head of State Property Management Department Arman Sahakyan (Galust's son), former Nature Minister Aram Harutyunyan, former police chief Vladimir Gasparyan and his family.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070832.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070840.html https://factor.am/454093.html

anti-corruption: former Vanadzor mayor is arrested

Investigative Committee: ex-mayor Mamikon Aslanyan wanted to convert a piece of land from residential to commercial. The government blocked the process and asked him to correct some errors. This didn't deter Aslanyan from illegally converting the land's purpose.

He committed similar crimes with several other pieces of land for personal gain. It led to several other problems, including cemeteries being too close to residential buildings.

The ex-mayor is charged with several crimes. //

In other news, during the June 20 snap elections, an election observer NGO accused ex-mayor Aslanyan of making a suspicious trip to Kocharyan's Vanadzor office at midnight, with the list of voters in his hand.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070870.html

My Step faction launches process of initiating motion of no confidence in Yerevan Mayor Marutyan

Yerevan mayor Marutyan joined the ruling party in 2018. He was elected as the mayor, with the city council being led by the ruling My Step alliance.

The alliance wants to initiate a motion of no confidence after Marutyan reportedly "left" the party earlier this year and did not support them in the June 20 elections. More recently, pro-government outlets claimed that Marutyan cozied up to Robert Kocharyan, a claim denied by Marutyan.

Report reads: Marutyan attempted to resign on multiple occasions in the past, but every time Pashinyan urged him not to. Things changed after Marutyan and General Arthur Aleksanyan (aka Amarasi Arthur, Marutyan's godfather) visited Artsakh during the war. Marutyan decided to quit the party after this trip.

With the help of General Aleksanyan, Marutyan established friendly relations with General Seyran Ohanyan, the leader of the Kocharyan-ARF HD alliance. Ohanyan is Aleksanyan's godson and a close friend.

Ohanyan reportedly organized a meeting between Marutyan and Kocharyan.

What's notable is after this meeting, media outlets belonging to Robert Kocharyan adopted a very loyal stance towards Marutyan. They used to give him hell every day. Marutyan used to be one of their biggest targets. [The report goes on to list other reasons they believe Marutyan has cozied up to Kocharyan camp.] //

The ruling party has enough votes (39) to initiate the no-confidence motion. Of the 65 Council seats, 57 are My Step, 5 BHK, 3 Luys.

A simple majority is needed during a secret ballot vote to replace the mayor.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070880.html https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/227302 https://factor.am/454313.html https://www.civilnet.am/news/643536/երևանի-քաղաքապետին-ցանկանում-են-պաշտոնանկ-անել․-ինչպիսին-է-ընթացակարգը/

Armenia will reform public tender appeals process to decentralize it: courts will handle appeals

Currently, if you have complaints about a public tender winner and want to appeal it, you can contact the Finance Ministry. After the amendment, the appeals process will be handled only by courts.

Critics argue against the changes because "courts are 4-5 times more expensive to deal with". It also deprives them of the ability to have an online tool to follow the appeals process.

Finance Ministry: the appeals process will be handled by courts to reduce the government's influence on the process. The current system has corruption risks. We can't have the tender office and the appeals office so close to each other. Two lower court judges will be retrained to handle appeals.

This is needed as part of the Armenia-Europe comprehensive cooperation agreement. SIGMA-2019 report had identified a lack of checks and balances in our system.

The tender law adopted in 2018 was in violation of the AM-EU agreement because too much power was concentrated in the Finance Ministry and it made it impossible to search rulings made in the past, per SIGMA report. We discussed these amendments with SIGMA colleagues and received a positive response. //

http://www.sigmaweb.org/publications/Baseline-Measurement-Armenia-2019-ARM.pdf https://factor.am/453840.html

Armenia plans to reform the personal data protection laws

Chief of Data Protection Agency: there are three important provisions listed in the government's 2021-2026 program.

1) Ratification and completion of procedures about automated processing of personal data.

2) Harmonization of the entire legal framework so every law will meet the standards about personal data processing.

3) Development of technical and human resources to ensure operational independence.

We plan to implement these by the end of 2023. Armenia ratified the convention last month, on November 26. We are one of 16 countries. //

Independent analyst Martirosyan believed Armenia needs strict regulations on how data is collected and shared.

Full: https://youtu.be/WZhw0B6zEoU https://factor.am/454027.html

Armenia will have a new modern psychological rehabilitation center for soldiers

The Rehabilitation City of Heroes will have the latest "3D" digital technologies that help with therapy. The construction began earlier this year. Now it's ready, said founder Suren Arents who collected donations for the project.

The eight employees are currently in the process of selecting the first patients. They are looking for volunteers.

https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/227445

October survey in Yerevan: are these countries Armenia's friends?

France: 43% friend, 2% not friend (2019: 12% best friend)

Russia: 35% friend, 17% not friend (2019: 47% best friend)

It is preferable to develop relations with...

Russia 30%

France 20%

Both 32%

If Armenia was forced to choose between France and Russia...

Russia 54%

France 23%

Survey conducted for EAEU use.

https://www.panarmenian.net/arm/news/297381/ https://verelq.am/ru/node/100068

Russia: Armenia plays a big role in the expansion of EAEU’s ties with third countries

RU ambassador Kopirkin: one of the key directions of the Union’s work is the expansion of its geography through the establishment of ties with third countries.

Members: Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan.

Observers: Moldova, Uzbekistan, Cuba.

Trade agreements: China, Iran, Vietnam, Singapore, Serbia.

Armenia’s economic benefits gained from the EAEU are obvious. The evidence of this is Armenia’s mutual trade growth with the other member states of the EAEU. In the first 9 months of this year, Armenia’s export volumes to the EAEU states have increased by almost 30%. //

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070825.html

refugees & foreign migrant workers

Armenia's Migration Services chief: 22,000 Syrians have fled to Armenia since the civil war began in 2011. Armenia ranks 3rd in Europe in the number of Syrian refugees per capita. UN should have free access to refugees in need.

We have agreements with the EU about visas and migration. It's about the need to take steps to eliminate reasons why people become refugees, the global development of shelter and protection networks, ensuring the authenticity of documents for proper refugee identification.

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The government formed a taskforce to handle the implementation of the agreement. A roadmap was developed with ten steps about migration.

One of the steps has been fully completed. It's the electronic readmission system. We're examining cases with our European colleagues fully electronically now.

Another step was the public awareness campaign about migration. Our citizens often think that by becoming refugees they can qualify for free things like healthcare. They go there and often face the harsh reality. We give them accurate info so they won't go there with unrealistic expectations.

According to European stats, fewer Armenians have been seeking refuge in Europe. It's a combination of our efforts and the stricter refugee admission rules in Europe.

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Another step we're implementing as part of the 10-step roadmap is the construction of a new and better shelter for refugee applicants. It'll be ready next year with the help of Denmark, Netherlands, and Germany. The facility is outside Yerevan. It'll increase the capacity from 45 to 120 and provide much better living conditions.

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Armenian refugees and their families who return home can open a business. A donor business, co-financed by the EU, will provide up to €10,000 in grants. The idea is if people can open their business in Armenia, it'll convince them and their relatives to settle in Armenia. We helped design this system in Armenia, while the EU co-finances it.

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Any info about migrant workers from India, Iran, etc.?

Our public has the perception that most foreign workers are Indian nationals, while in reality, it's the Russian nationals. However, according to EAEU rules, migrant workers from EAEU states don't have to go through the same work permission process, so they are under the radar.

Now with a new platform, we will be able to give EAEU migrants special documents which will allow them to visit clinics, open bank accounts, confirm their residency. This will allow us to have better statistics about migrant workers.

As for the work permit system implemented in 2019-2020, the inflow is very small. In 2019 we gave work permits to only ~820 foreign nationals, and ~600 in 2020. This was handled by a Labor Ministry agency. Beginning January, it will be handled by us.

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Migrant documentation process.

Most of the recorded foreign migrants are from India, followed by Iran, Tajikistan, etc. They mostly work in the construction, services, and hospitality fields.

Migrants with certain professions don't have to go through the lengthy work permit process, they just need to register in the online platform to have their documents checked. They are skipping the usual process in which the employer is required to attempt to hire an Armenian worker first before inviting a foreigner. The legal changes were approved in May. //

More: https://youtu.be/8F9w1SAuW0E

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070859.html https://factor.am/454194.html https://factor.am/454199.html https://youtu.be/CVAktmR_ywc https://factor.am/454203.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQMxBjw_Gzk

Tags: #migrants #refugees

վիրուս-նյուզ

7.8k tested. 212 infected. 255 healed. 11 deaths.

==Omicron has not been detected in Armenia yet

The Ministry regularly examines samples to see which strains are in circulation. Omicron was detected in 70 countries. "Get vaccinated," reminded the Memestry.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070794.html https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070815.html

doctors deliver another "first"

Total replacement of the left hip joint was performed for the first time at the National Center of Pulmonology. The 64yo patient had an inflammatory disease that caused the bones to fuse.

In another patient, they rearranged scapula bones that were growing incorrectly after a fracture.

The surgeries were performed by Dr. Karen Poghosyan with the help of traumatologists Narek Sargsyabn and Andranik Darbinyan.

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070863.html

today in history

1939: premier of the movie Gone With the Wind.

1982: Kamerayin Theater opens in Yerevan

1985: deputy Parliament President of France and dozens of MPs call for the adoption of a resolution to recognize the Armenian Genocide

https://armenpress.am/arm/news/1070779.html

end of report

The accused are innocent unless proven guilty in the court of law, even if they "appear" guilty.

News archive: http://www.armeniapedia.org/wiki/Daily_Anti-Corruption_Reports

Donations: soldiers' families, humanitarian aid, US tax-deductible donation.

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Link to original report and comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/armenia/comments/rh7smy/news_dec152021_anticorruption_fbi_to_train_agents/